The Red Demon
by Wickedlovely01
Summary: Sometimes even the Champion needs help from the Hatter.


**A/N: Ok, I cannot tell you how much I love Alice in Wonderland. But Talice/Malice absolutely stole my heart. I always thought there was chemistry between those two. I know I really should be getting back to writing Wake Up, but I need 10 reviews to post the new chapter. If any of you are Malec fans, could you read it and review please?**

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Tarrant woke up from his blissful sleep. He turned on his side where he knew Alice would be. Alice, with her golden hair and her sky blue eyes, her thin frame and her fiery attitude, had chosen him, the Mad Hatter, over Overland, her home. Of course he would always be eternally grateful. But he couldn't find her in the mound of blankets. He opened his sleep encrusted eyes and blinked. Once. Twice. As his eyes adjusted, he realized that she wasn't there. He sat up in his bed, his vibrant orange hair sticking up at every angle.

"Alice?" He mumbled sleepily. Maybe she was making tea for him this morning. That wouldn't surprize him, she did it for him everyday. He decided that was what she was doing and went about sketching yet another hat. This one would be for Alice, his true love. He took the raven quill from it's holder on the writing desk and began drawing. His mercury stained hands flew across the page in a blur, never making a mistake and never ceasing to move. His smile was maniac and his green eyes crazed. He went a little mad every time he made another creation, and this one would be the best of them all, because Alice deserved nothing but the very best that Hatter could give her.

"Hatta!" A tiny voice called. Tarrant was too far away in his mind to hear her. "Hatta!" He shook his head and looked down on his bed. Mallymunkin, the dormouse was standing right below him, her brown eyes big and huge with fear and fright.

"What is it, Mally?" Asked Hatter annoyed, adding little brush strokes to the almost completed rough sketch of the hat. He was almost done and anything less than complete concentration could result in a less than perfect hat, which Hatter did not want.

"It's Alice." Tarrant's head shot straight up, getting out of bed and putting on his brown patched up blazer and his shoes. "She's well... She's-" Stopped and started Mally. Finally frustrated with herself, she simply said: "Come look for yerslef" And pointed to the window. Mally scattered off to do something else as Hatter rushed to the narrow and dirty glass, he heard a scream. A bloodcurdling scream. Alice's scream.

Thats all Tarrant Hightopp needed to sprint down the long hallway as fast as he can, jumping down the last five steps and out into the yard. _What has Alice done to herself_? He thought worriedly as he hurdled over the mismatched chairs at the large tea table. _Or, worse yet, who has done something to her? _

There was his Alice, the champion of all of Underland on a hill, still screaming. The rising sun cast beautiful shadows on her. Hatter slipped on the dewy grass. He quickly got up and clambered up the rest of the steep hill to her.

It looked like she was fighting someone, the way her body jerked and moved, like a horrible dance. But it also looked like someone was fighting her, trying to take control of her mind, body, and soul.

Hatter put his hands on her feverish cheeks. "Alice?" He whispered, very worried at this point. What was happening to his more than best friend?

Tears were streaming down her face. "Hatter. You have to help me. You have to-" Her sentence was cut short by yet another high pitched scream. Hatter had to resist putting his hands over his ears.

"Stupid little girl. Do you honestly think that this pathetic hat man can help you now?" Tarrant knew that voice. It was shrill and high, but also an alto voice. Then thats when he noticed Alice's eyes. They weren't hers anymore, they were someone else's. Instead of the sky blue he'd come to know and love, they were dark and black, like the night or a horrible nightmare you couldn't escape no matter how hard you tried.

"The Red Queen." Hatter whispered, now scared. He had to know what she was doing, possessing Alice's body. "How?" Was all he asked, the evil monarch would know what he meant.

"Well lets see, after banishment I died and became a demonic spirit." Said the not Alice. "Then I waited for our little champion to be alone, and then I took over her. Really, hat man, you should have protected her more." She added, and then she cackled because she knew she was getting to poor old Tarrant.

The Mad Hatter was conflicted. He needed to get the Queen out of Alice's body before she took over completely, but he could not hurt Alice when she appeared, helpless and scared like a stray dog in the cold and unforgiving winds. His eyes were a mixture of all the colors, because of his many emotions. His heart tore into two. _What should I do? _ He asked himself. He would not- could not- harm Alice's body. But he could get the Queen out of there by other means.

The black eyes turned blue again. His Alice had reappeared. "Tarrant..." She said weakly.

Hatter grasped her ice cold hands. "C'mon Alice. Fight her, I know you can! Just come back to me. You have one thing Iracebeth never had: Love. That alone is more powerful than fear. Believe in a 7th possible thing before breakfast. Fight her. Fight her, and I promise nothing will hurt you again. Fight her Alice, and you'll be safe, forever." He half yelled, half whispered to Alice, their foreheads touching. She nodded, tears streaming down her face.

Alice was ripped away from Tarrant again, just as abruptly as before. But this time she didn't scream, she knew what she had to do. She had to fight the Red Queen.

"You're wrong, hat man. I did have love. Stayne loved me!" Squealed the Queen in denial. She made Alice seem ugly. Her eyes were far too black and small and beady to be considered beautiful Alice eyes. Her mouth was always in a constant frown, so unlike the warm, friendly he was so used to.

Tarrant shook his head. "No, he didn't. I believe he tried to stab you when taken away for banishment. He used you."

The not Alice's face got all red, like blood. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" She screeched loudly, and crows flew up from the trees in fright.

"Already lost it." Said Hatter, not at all daunted by the possessive queen taking many swings at Tarrant's head. The Red Queen had acquired a silver dagger Alice had always carried around with her for protection. She thought she'd always be attacked by some animal in the tulgey woods, or some unwanted men in the White Queens court. But never in a million years did she ever think she would be possesed by the Red Queen. Hatter merely ducked at the Queen's poor efforts. _Had she ever actually executed someone before? _Tarrant thought as he moved quickly to the right, dodging another blow to his head.

Alice's body jerked uncontrollably again, the champion coming forth to reclaim her mind and her own actions.

"Hatter!" She screamed. Alice rushed forth in his arms, wanting protection from the dark spirit in her mind. Tarrant just held her, stroking her hair. He knew the Red Queen was boiling mad under Alice's skin, waiting to take over again.

Again, Tarrant wanted to get the Red Queen out by force, but he reminded himself he couldn't, for fear of hurting his Alice. So he did the next best thing.

He kissed her. Alice melted into him almost instantly. The demonic spirit inside her recoiled, repulsed at this new and strange movement. The Red Queen never had love, but Alice did. Alice could handle the kiss, she could handle love. The Queen of Hearts could not. Hatter wrapped his arms around his Alice, wishing the red demon would just burst out of her and leave them alone forever.

A red aurora burst from the figure of the champion of Underland. Hatter and Alice stepped away from each other, their eyes wide in shock. Tarrant grasped for Alice's pale and soft hand, pulling her toward him for further safety. Iracebeth of Crimms floated above them, her features contorted in red hot rage. Her whole figure was cherry red and transparent. She wasn't normal size, just maybe a foot or two tall.

"Alice," Tarrant whispered into her ear. He tried not to move or breathe to suddenly. "Go get me a teapot off of the table in the yard." He then let go of her hand and slowly, almost like he was trapped in molasses, he took off his hat, showing the carrot orange hair sticking out at every angle beneath.

"What?" Asked Alice.

Tarrant Hightopp springed into the air, his eyes a burning gold, and jammed the hat over the red ghost. "GO!" he yelled in her direction. He saw her run down the hill, to get what he needed to save Alice and him, and possibly all of Underland.

He was lifted up into the air, the hat dancing wildly in the air, trying to break free of Tarrant's grasp. Higher and higher the Hatter went, until his feet were at least ten feet above the grassy hill. The were flying around in the atmosphere, going as fast as a Bandersnatch can run.

"OFF WITH HIS HEAD! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" The former queen screamed with fury and vexation. No matter how loud she screamed or how hard she whirled around, Tarrant would not let go. "YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME, I AM THE RIGHTFUL QUEEN OF UNDERLAND! I AM THE QUEEN OF HEARTS! I AM-" Her sentence was cut short by Alice and Hatter shoving the evil spirit into a tiny teapot. Then they tied it with very sturdy yarn on the top and put a cork on the spout. There was no way that the former Queen of Underland, was getting out. Tarrant had landed on the ground fast and hard seconds before Alice put the bottom of the worn top hat in the china teapot.

Now Hatter sat clutching his side, trying to get air into his lungs. His eyes watered from the impact of landing. He whimpered a little in pain, but he tried not to because he knew Alice's pain-both emotional and physical- were a thousand times worse.

As Tarrant sat up, able to breathe again, Alice fell down on her hands and knees. She was paper white, almost as light as his own skin. The champion trembled with weakness.

"Alice?" Asked the Hatter worriedly, crawling to her. He cradled her in his arms until she was able to support herself and lay in his chest. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Tarrant knew she hated to be like this, weak and vulnerable. He kissed the top of her head.

"I-I'm ok, Tarrant." She said, her voice a little shaky. "It was horrible. One second I was coming out of the Tulgey woods, the next I was on this hill, and I couldn't control my own movements. I wanted to fight back, I really did, but I saw her memories, Hatter. I was so curious and I had to just look. One particular memory was so horrid I had to fight to get out of the spider web of lies. Then I regained control and you were right by me." Alice confessed.

Tarrant just sat and rocked her, letting her talk. Soon he knew that Mally would come and ask what was going on, and Hatter really didn't feel like explaining that to all of them.

"How about I go and make you some tea, Alice? I drink tea whenever I'm feeling down, and it usually helps." The Hatter smiled, showing his crooked teeth with gaps. Tarrant thought they looked like piano keys sometimes.

"That sounds really delightful, actually. We should at least get rid of the horrid tea pot before we do have tea." Said Alice, smiling for the first time that day.

"You do know you grabbed my mother's china teapot. It has been in the Hightopp family for generations. And yet you call it horrid?" Tarrant teased Alice. They laughed under the sun that was now casting golden rays on them.

Hatter knew that soon they would have to get up. Soon they would have to put the tea in the lake or bury it with the help of Bayard. Soon they would have to go to their house and have tea. Not that tea was a bad thing, it wasn't. But Tarrant just wanted them to stay like this, Alice slightly sleeping on his chest, with his arm around her, protecting her from the slightly rattling teapot beside them. He didn't want to move. He wanted this perfect piece of perfectness to stay like this forever.

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**A/N: Probably the most cute and fluffy story I will ever write. I like reading them, I just can't write them. OH OH OH I HAVE WONDERFUL NEWS! CALLO CALLAY THEY MIGHT MAKE AN ALICE IN WONDERLAND 2! (Yeah I know it dosen't rhyme, what are you gonna do about it?!) If they don't, don't blame me, I just read it in an article somewhere. **


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